Cold Case: Beneath The Shade Of Blue
by Arciam
Summary: AU. Ten years ago, 17-year-old Ken Ichijouji fell off a bridge, whose death was quickly considered suicide back then. Now, the Cold Case team has to find out if it really was suicide, an accident, or murder...
1. A Shade of Blue

**Author's Note:** I've had the most part of this lying on my computer for a year now... Some parts are still missing, but I hope I will be able to write them soon. Until then, I'll just upload what I have in chapters, not all at once. Enjoy :)  
Oh yes, in case you don't know about "Cold Case", it's a TV series in which an investigative team re-opens old cases. Along the way, they talk to the people associated with the victim and via flashbacks, the puzzle is slowly filled in over the course of an episode. It's usually quite sad and (personally) tragic, especially the endings that are always underlain by a fitting song.  
In this story, the major time lapses (thus, also the flashbacks) are always marked with a page devider.

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**Cold Case: Beneath The Shade Of Blue**

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* * *

Ten years ago.

Five friends are sitting around a table in an ice cream parlor, chatting, laughing, having a good time together.

".. so in the end, I fucked up that test so much that they'll have to invent a wholly new grade to be able to mark _that_..." a spiky-haired redhead laughs, making the others laugh or chuckle as well.

"Then be glad it's over with - for now." a blond boy smiles brightly at him.

A girl with short, brown hair perks up "Ah yes, that's right; aren't you going on vacation with your family for a month tomorrow, Daisuke?"

The other boy only has time to nod before another girl with round glasses and purple hair grins suggestively "Then you'll have to make sure you and Ken make good use of your time today, right?" She looks over at the quiet, blue-haired boy sitting beside Daisuke.

The redhead crosses his arms and rolls his eyes dramatically with the faintest blush on his cheeks "Oh come on, guys..! I thought we agreed on "no talking about that in public"..?" making both of the girls laugh.

Ken simply smiles before taking his friend's hand, standing up and saying "It's a good idea though, Miyako."

After a bout of surprised silence the girls laugh even harder, the blond boy gives a crooked smile.

The two other boys themselves chuckle as they wave their friends good-bye and walk away together.

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Few weeks later.

The blue-haired boy now lies as a corpse in the nightly chill on the street beneath a bridge, dead from the impact of a fall. A short, straight cut mars his left wrist. His case is put away as 'Suicide'...

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	2. Prologue

Present time. A young woman, brunette, about age 25, decisively walks up the steps to the doors of a certain building. Nevertheless, she hesitates. Bracing herself against the harsh winter wind, she scans the sign over and over again, as if to make sure she is at the right adress, despite the prominence of the place.

Eventually, she enters.

Not knowing who to turn to, she ends up blindly grabbing the arm of the nearest person passing her and asks "Ex.. Excuse me? Are you the ones who investigate old murder cases?"

"That would be us." Senior Detective Lilly Rush steps up across the room, catching the younger woman's attention. She lets go of the unknown man she asked, ignoring the funny look and shake of the head he gives her, and walks up to the blonde.

"Oh, ah.. that's great. My name is Joselyn Parsons and I was hoping to be able to talk to you because you see, I have information on a case that was ten years ago and I- "

"Why don't we sit down first, alright?" Rush cuts her off and motions towards her desk. The brunette follows her with crossed arms, visibly uncomfortable with the whole situation, and sits down on the chair across from the other's desk.

However, the woman now known as Joselyn only keeps her eyes fixed on her hands as they play with a loose thread on her coat, and a silence spreads between the two.

"New information, you say?" Rush tries to start the conversation.

"Y-Yes... Ten years ago, a boy fell from a bridge not far from where I lived. He was about my age... His name was Ken Ichijouji." With that, she hands the detective a picture of the victim. Normal paper, printed, indicating it is not a photograph she used to own herself.

"Ken Ichijouji... I'm sorry, I've never heard of his case." the blonde frowns at the picture in thought.

Joselyn gives her a sad smile and lowers her gaze again "Yeah, I don't think you would have... It was never even investigated, deemed a suicide almost instantly. It appears he had self-inflicted wounds..."

"So?"

"I was there, that night. I was on my way to a party when I looked up and saw his silhouette on the bridge. Saw him fall. When I watched the news a few days later, I wanted to report what I'd seen so badly, but... You see, I had been grounded when it happened, and on my way to a _party_... it's so silly, I know that now, but I was only fifteen and didn't want my parents to find out. And I forced myself to forget about it. But two days ago, I walked under the same bridge again, and remembered. This is why I am here now, ten years later..." Joselyn stares into the distance.

"..This is great and all, but why do you think it was murder?"

Green eyes snap back to look at Rush.

"Because he was not alone."

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"So there was another person with him on the bridge?" Senior Detective Scotty Valens asks, walking beside his partner.

"Yes. According to Joselyn Parsons, it looked like they were fighting." Rush turns to face him along with the rest of the team, coming to a halt at their desk where she spreads out the collected files connected to their new old case.

Lieutenant John Stillman asks "Would she be able to recognize the other in a lineup?"

"No, it was night and she only saw their silhouettes against the light of the street-lamps..."

"But how do we know if it was murder at all?" Senior Detective Nick Vera chips in, "The unknown other person might as well have been a random passerby who tried to keep the boy from killing himself."

The blonde detective looks up at him, tilting her head "Maybe. But it's still worth looking into, isn't it?"

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[The series' intro - /watch?v=Bb8yA9xRdag ]

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**Author's Note:** As you can see, I really tried to build the story up like an episode of Cold Case ^^


	3. Mrs Ichijouji

"Seventeen year old boy, living at home, good grades, never got in any trouble... I guess we can eliminate the possibility that he made friends with the wrong people and had to pay for that." Valens tells his partner as they are walking up to the house Ken's parents live in now.

"Wouldn't say that." Rush counters as she rings the doorbell. "After all, it's always the quiet ones, isn't it?"

The door opens, revealing an elderly woman. Elderly yes, but looking older than she most likely is. Her once rich brown hair is dusted by the gray hairs that have begun to grow, worry lines a lot more prominent on her face than laugh lines.

"How may I help you?" she asks politely.

"We're sorry to show up unannounced like this, my name is Detective Rush and this is Detective Valens. Are you Ken Ichijouji's mother? We would like to ask you some questions regarding your son..."

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"So it.. wasn't suicide?" Mrs. Ichijouji asks, first signs of tears visible in her eyes by now.

"We're not sure about that yet, but it is possible that it wasn't." Rush says.

Valens pulls out some files and adds "There are no records that indicate you ever requested further investigation of his case. Why? Did you believe it was suicide from the start?"

"I... I don't know. He was always such a nice boy. So kindhearted. But... sensitive. I'm not saying he was weak, because he was not, but.. sometimes he had to rely on his friends to keep him from sinking too deep into his own world and thoughts..."

"Suicidal thoughts?" Valens raises an eyebrow.

"They were _his_ thoughts, so I wouldn't know... I always wished I did, but it was the way he was, and I loved my little boy the way he was. You understand what I am talking about?" she looks up at the detectives hopefully.

* * *

Ten years before, in the hallway of the Ichijoujis' apartment.

"I'll be going now, mama." Ken Ichijouji calls out to his mother, throwing on his jacket.

Mrs. Ichijouji comes out into the hallway with a smile to see her son off. "Sure, honey, but... don't be out too late by yourself, alright?" her smile gives way to a worried frown.

With a pained expression, Ken turns his head away "I know. I... wouldn't."

"Ken..." she places her hands on the boy's shoulders "You are alright, yes?"

After swallowing, he faces the woman with a clearly forced smile "Of course I am. Don't worry about me." He slithers out of her grasp to open the door. "See you tomorrow, mama." he turns to smile at her before disappearing through the door, leaving his sorrowful mother behind.

* * *

"He went to meet his friends at the ice cream parlor after that. They always met there, you see. And.. I never saw my little boy again..." Mrs. Ichijouji starts to cry.

"Uhm, I'm sorry but we have to ask this; do you know of anyone who would have done that to your son?" the male detective cautiously asks the sobbing woman.

"No..." she sniffs "But, like I said, it wasn't me he told about his problems. If anybody knows, it would be his friends. Wait a minute, I can write you a list with their names..."

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	4. Daisuke

A young man, fairly good-looking with casual jeans and a simple black t-shirt against his lightly muscled form and tanned skin, with brown eyes and maroon colored hair, long enough to have settled down more than his former spikes; Daisuke Motomiya.

"Why'd you come to me first?" he mutters annoyedly and looks the other way with arms crossed.

"...Well, because you were the first name on the list. Why? Is there another reason we should have decided to talk to you first?" Rush raises an eyebrow at him.

Scoffing and uncrossing his arms again, Daisuke glances up at them "Actually, yes. He was my best friend..."

"Really... Then he probably told you when he had problems, right?" Valens asks.

A hurt frown flickers across the younger man's face "N-Not always. Not that evening..."

* * *

".. and so I tell him "Hey, if you want a date, just say so, but cut the 'let's do something together as friends some time' crap!" Miyako finishes her story making all the people around their usual table in the ice cream parlor burst into laughter. All except for Ken, who seems to stare into space.

"Yeah and I'm glad she made me ask, I've never been this scared of a girl before..." Miyako's new boyfriend chuckles, causing Miyako to give him an apologetic kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Ken, what's wrong? You've been acting funny all afternoon." Daisuke whispers to his friend, bringing him out of his daze.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine..."

"Don't give me that." Daisuke lays a comforting hand on the other boy's shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

But to his surprise, Ken shrugs the hand away and hisses "Just let me be, okay?"

"Ken..."

* * *

"I don't know, he just wasn't.. himself that day." He smiles wryly, "I had been ecstatic to see him again, y'know? I had been away the whole month before that get-together, so this was the first time I saw him again after that. I had really missed him. But then..." he trails off.

"Alright... So, you wouldn't know anyone else who could have had a motive, either?" asks Valens.

"No one at all. Everybody loved Ken... Who wouldn't have?" Daisuke's gaze saddens, causing both detectives to look at him funnily.

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* * *

**Author's Note:** The chapters might be a little short, but that's because I wanted each interrogation to have its own chapter.


	5. Miyako

"Well, who is the next one on our list?" Rush looks over her partner's shoulder to get a view of the piece of paper Mrs. Ichijouji has written for them as they walk away.

"One Miyako Inoue." Valens replies. "Works as a secretary for a large corporation."

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A mature-looking woman of 28 years leans against the back of the chair in her office, a slim lady cigarette is loosely held by two fingers. Her once big, round glasses have been replaced with a fancier, pointed design, her lipsticked lips form a melancholic smile that does not reach her eyes.

"Ken, huh? Haven't heard anyone talk about him for a while..."

"We've received new information according to which he wasn't alone when he died." the blonde detective offers as she sits down in one of the chairs.

"You mean.. murder?" Miyako blinks.

"Possible." Valens says.

"It wasn't anyone of us." the purple-haired woman states decisively.

Rush furrows her brow "Who is 'us'?"

"Well, _us_. His friends." After short thought, she exhales quickly in an almost-laugh "Yeah, I guess it's strange I still refer to us as only 'us' after all these years. Truth is, 'us' stopped existing long ago..." She takes a puff of her cigarette.

"What do you mean by that?"

Breathing out the smoke first, she answers "We used to be great friends, all of us. We used to get together at that ice cream parlor at least once a month. But.. after Ken's death, it was never the same again..."

* * *

Some weeks after Ken's death, at the ice cream parlor.

The now only four people gathered around their table are quiet and depressed. Only Miyako seeks to lighten the mood.

"Hey, so... what's been going on in your lives?"

Not lifting his head from the hand he is resting it on, nor lifting his gaze from where it is fixed on the tabletop, Daisuke speaks up "Well I've done some shopping... slept a lot.. and, ah yes, the one person who meant the world to me died. How about you?"

"Why you..!" Miyako starts to shout at him, but is silenced by a meaningful look from Hikari. Said makes her own attempt at forging ease "Hm... I went to the zoo last week. Did you know they are making this new compound where they will let different animals living in South America live together? Tapirs, rheas, giant anteaters... they will even have those cute animals that look like llamas, but smaller."

"Really?" Miyako smiles interestedly.

"Yes," Hikari laughs "and then there's gonna be-"

She is interrupted by Daisuke's angry sound and the clattering of his chair as he stands up and knocks it over "I can't do this." He storms off.

After a shocked silence, Takeru chokes out "Me neither... I'm sorry." stands up and walks the opposite direction, leaving Hikari to sigh sympathetically and Miyako to bury her face in her hands in despair.

* * *

"Neither Daisuke nor Takeru ever showed up at our get-togethers again. So effectively, out of an inseperable group of five, only Hikari and I remained..." she finishes, taking a last prolonged puff of her cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray.

"So you're saying Takeru Takaishi was affected very strongly as well?" Valens asks suspiciously.

"Yes. I have to say I was surprised... I mean sure, we were all close, but I never knew Ken meant so much to Takeru."

The two detectives look at each other. Rush says "Maybe he didn't. There are other reasons one can react like this to the death of another..."

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	6. Takeru

"Takeru Takaishi is a writer now... According to his publisher, he usually comes to this place to write." Rush tells her partner as they look for their possible suspect in the lively park. They spot him on a bench eventually, a blond young man with a stubble, clad in a green t-shirt and white pants, a laptop perched on his lap.

"Are you Takeru Takaishi?" Valens calls out to him, flashing him his badge.

Takeru halts his writing to look up "Uh, yes? What is it?"

"We're investigating the death of Ken Ichijouji." says Rush.

Overcoming the initial shock, the young man scratches the back of his head "Woah... I didn't quite expect that."

"I can imagine. It was ten years ago, after all. Could you describe your relationship with Ken?" Valens pulls out a notepad and pen.

"Rel-..? Uh, I don't know. It was.. alright, I guess... I mean, we were friends, but not really _close_. I didn't even know him all that well as it is... He was Daisuke's, more than any of ours."

"And yet Miyako Inoue told us you acted just as distressed as Daisuke after Ken's death. A bit strange considering you weren't 'close', don't you think?" Rush states sceptically.

"_Excuse_ me? Just because I expressed my grief over the loss of a friend, you target me?" Takeru shouts.

"We're not 'targeting' anyone. No need to get defensive."

"I am not- !" He sighs "I am not getting defensive... Look, I understand that this is, like, your thousandth case, but it was my first time losing someone important. That's all..." he ends, letting his head sink.

"Alright then. Otherwise, did you notice anything odd that day? Anyone behaving out of the ordinary or something?" the female detective asks.

Takeru does not need time to think before answering "Yes. Ken himself."

* * *

"Just let me be, okay?"

"Ken…"

While Hikari, Miyako and her boyfriend are all still talking, Takeru is watching Ken and Daisuke's little dialogue intently.

He turns to Miyako, who is seated to his right, and lowers his voice "Hey. What's up with Ken?"

"I don't know. Why, do you think something's wrong?" she whispers back.

"Haven't you noticed? He's spacing out all the time. And he seems kinda irritable..."

She observes Ken for a few moments before replying "Now that you mention it... I'll ask."

"No, I didn't mean-"

"Uhm..." Miyako speaks up hesitantly, facing Ken and Daisuke and attracting the attention of the others. "Are you two, like, fighting or something...?"

Both boys appear equally surprised.

"What makes you think that..?" Ken asks.

"I don't know, it's just... shouldn't you be more happy to see your boyfriend again after a month..? Just an idea..." Miyako suggests in return.

The blue-haired boy frowns and retorts "I _am_ happy." before turning to kiss Daisuke, a kiss which, however convinced, still seems forced, leaving his boyfriend even more confused than before.

After an absolute silence among the friends, Daisuke says "Ken... Perhaps we should go home."

The others, including Takeru, look after them perplexed as they walk away.

* * *

"They left together. That was the last time I saw Ken. I don't know what was going on with him, but.. he was just _weird_ that day. And not very considerate of Daisuke's feelings..."

"Ken and Daisuke were a couple?" Rush asks, astonishment clear in her voice.

Takeru looks at them as if the fact was obvious "For ages."

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	7. I Love You

"How come you failed to tell us that Ken was a lot more than just your "best friend", Daisuke?" Valens drawls.

"You didn't ask." the young man retorts. "No, really, it was never a secret. Everyone knew. I don't know, I just..." He shakes his head, then chuckles sadly "Well I'd like to say that I'm trying not to think about him.. but that's not true."

"According to Takeru's statement, Ken left the gathering together with you." the blonde detective coaxes.

Daisuke raises an eyebrow at them "Well, yes... but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. I mean, he practically _lived_ with me whenever we didn't have school the following day." He smiles to himself "Also, like I told you, I had been away a whole month. I thought we'd..." he trails off, the smile giving way to a more somber expression.

Catching on, Valens continues "But something must have happened between then and when he was on the bridge. He must have left - or the other conclusion would be that it was you who-"

"No! I loved him. ...He left."

"Why?" asks Rush.

Turning his head away, he sighs "He was.. _really_ acting strange that day..."

* * *

"Now tell me, what is wrong with you?" says Daisuke as he pulls off his jacket upon entering his apartment together with Ken.

The other doesn't reply, he only frowns down at the floor.

"Seriously, Ken. What happened?" Quietly, he adds "..Is it something I did?"

It causes Ken to look up at him in surprise "N-No. Not at all. I'm sorry…"

Daisuke sighs, goes over to his boyfriend and hugs him. The other immediately makes an uncomfortable sound that the shorter boy cannot hear. "It's alright, really. See, you don't have to tell me yet if you don't want to. Okay?"

Ken pulls out of the embrace in a fluent motion so that the other doesn't notice, "Okay."

Daisuke looks at him affectionately "I love you, Ken."

For the first time that day, the blue-haired boy smiles genuinely "I love you too…"

They stand like this for a while before Daisuke turns around and walks into his room with an audible grin.

"So~… My parents and sister are out today. What do you say?"

Ken gasps silently, hesitating in following the other into the room. "O-Oh… Alright, I guess…"

"'Alright, I guess'?" Daisuke laughs. "Man, you don't sound too enthusiastic about it."

"No, no." the other reassures him. "I want to."

The redhead sits down on his bed as he beckons his boyfriend to come closer "Nice~"

Before long, the two of them are heavily making out on Daisuke's bed. However, all the while, Ken appears highly uneasy.

As he feels the hem of his shirt be lifted though, Ken suddenly pushes the other away forcefully and gets up hastily.

"Get away from me!" he yells, leaving his boyfriend quite dumbfounded.

"Wh-what did I do..?" said inquires confusedly.

The other doesn't answer, but continues instead "Keep your filthy hands to yourself, bastard! Don't ever touch me again! Don't even come near me!"

As Daisuke, still puzzled, stands up to get to Ken, the latter only backs away and glares at him.

"Really Ken, what's wrong?" brown eyes fill with despair.

"You disgust me! You make me sick! Stay away from me, I mean it!" comes the venomous reply. Following this, Ken quickly leaves the apartment.

Daisuke stays behind, too perplexed to even cry.

* * *

"The only time I've felt more hurt in my life was when I heard that he was… dead. I mean, fights between us were rare as it is, but there, it was like he was only trying to _hurt_ me, something he'd never done purposefully..." He shakes his head again "Why didn't he just tell me what was wrong? He usually did... One of the very few things about myself that I was proud of, y'know?"

"Where did he go?" the blonde asks.

Daisuke lets out a slightly frustrated noise "I don't know. Home, I guess. I didn't see him after that..."

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	8. A Lot Of Pain

"It is like I said, the last time I saw him was when he left the apartment for the parlor. I'm sorry..." Mrs. Ichijouji murmurs palely, appearing disturbed by something.

Not noticing this, Valens says "Don't be. Do you know where else he might have gone?"

However, the woman does not even seem to listen anymore "I... I _told_ him to tell Daisuke..."

"Tell him what?" Rush frowns.

Distantly, Mrs. Ichijouji turns to look at her "I know why he was behaving the way he did. It was the one thing he told _me_ instead of his friends..."

"What is that?" the female detective urges.

"About.. two weeks before that day... my boy was almost raped." she swallows hard, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"And you didn't mean to tell us that?" Valens inquires incredulously.

"He didn't want anyone to know, and I wanted to respect this even after his death."

"You never thought that perhaps the culprit might have been responsible for your son's death?" Rush asks.

"I did, in a way. You.. wondered why I didn't think of suicide as improbable..." she averts her eyes shamefully. "Either way, he did not want to be touched anymore after that... Sometimes he was alright, but then he wouldn't let me anywhere near him. That he even let Daisuke go so far before flipping only shows how much he loved and trusted him... I told Ken to tell him about the.. incident, but he refused. I understood that, but now I'm starting to believe he could have spared everyone, including himself, a lot of pain if he had just done it..."

After listening carefully, Rush says "Might be... However, does that mean you have no idea where he went after leaving Daisuke..?"

The older woman thinks a moment before answering "There was one other person who knew of the incident. If he wanted to talk about it, he might have gone to her."

"Who?" asks Valens.

"Her name is on the list as well. It's Hikari."

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	9. Hikari

"No, Ken didn't come to me that evening. Knowing him, he probably found himself an uncrowded place and thought everything through on his own..." Hikari Kamiya, a petite, lightly make-upped young woman with long brown hair and an air of pink to her, chuckles at the loving memory. She leaves the children of the kindergarten to her co-worker's care before leading the detectives to another room to talk.

After closing the door, she continues "Takeru was, though. At my place, I mean. It was actually planned that he should stay the night. Not like you think. We've known each other since we were little kids and there was never anything between us. He often spent the night at my place."

"Does that mean Takeru has an alibi? Was he with you the whole night?" Valens asks.

"'Alibi'?" a sharp frown directed at the detectives flickers across Hikari's face only to disappear again quickly. "Well… no. That day, he ended up leaving earlier than intended..."

* * *

"So, which movie would you like to watch this time?" Hikari smiles brightly at her friend from her place crouched beside the piles of movies in her room.

"As long as it's not like that completely talent-freed flick last time, it's fine with me, really."

"Hey, it wasn't _that_ bad..!" she retorts while pushing a random DVD into the player.

"Puh-lease! I could see the drama _oozing_ out of your TV!" he shudders at the memory.

She chuckles "Whatever..." before seating herself beside Takeru.

It is not five minutes into the movie before his cell phone rings.

"Haven't I told you, like, a hundred times to turn your phone off when we're watching a film?" Hikari demands while he pulls out the noisy device.

"M'sorry... Hm? It's Daisuke..!" he exclaims before turning to his friend in a silent plea.

Sighing, she says "Just pick up already..."

He doesn't hesitate a moment doing so. "Daisuke? Yes. Oh... Shit, that sucks..." Suddenly his eyes widen "What? You sure? Uh, sure I can. I'll be right there." He snaps the phone shut, staring at it.

"I have to go, Hikari."

"Wait, what? What did he say?" she asks, confused.

"I don't know for sure..." he replies equally confused. "He had a fight with Ken. He wants me to come over."

"..You _do_ know you're supposed to be here with me, right?"

"But.. he needs me, Hikari." he almost begs her.

Her expression turns worried "Apart from the fact that you're about to just ditch me... do you think it would be wise..? With you and him and... I just don't want you to get your hopes up. So he had a fight with Ken, but he really loves him you know..."

"I know that..!" he counters a bit too defensively.

"If you really think you can handle it... I won't stop you." she gives up. As he is making a dash for the door, she calls out "But don't you come running to me when you're broken-hearted again..!"

"I won't..!" comes the reply from somewhere in the hallway.

* * *

"And he didn't. He never even mentioned Daisuke's name after that..." she twists her lips regretfully.

"Wait - Takeru was in love with Daisuke as well?" Valens asks surprised, earning a nod from the young woman.

"And he went over to his place the same evening Ken fell from the bridge." Rush finishes.

For a moment, Hikari only gives them a cold, almost malevolent look that seems completely out of character for her, before stating "There were a lot of things going on in our group that day. But we all know that _none_ of us could have killed Ken, which is why we've always kept quiet about each other. We've never mistrusted one another. The only reason we tell you these things now is because you are the first ones to ask. Got it?"

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	10. Born From Despair

"Must have been hard. Always seeing the boy you loved with Ken." Valens walks a semicircle behind Takeru, who is seated in the interrogation room this time.

"No, it wasn't." the blond man states with crossed arms.

"With all of you being friends, wasn't it like having it rubbed in time and time again that you could not have what you wanted?" Rush inquires leaning over the table.

"No, it wasn't..!"

The male detective proceeds "After all, it was _you_ who Daisuke called after their fight, and no one else. And _you_ would never have treated him the way Ken did, right? He didn't.. _deserve_ Daisuke like you did, isn't that so?"

"That's not true!" Takeru stands up shouting. "I never held any kind of grudge against Ken! He was my _friend_, damn it..!" He rubs at his eyes frustratedly.

After settling down again, he says "It.. is true that I liked Daisuke more than I probably should have. And yes, sometimes I wished it was me at his side instead of Ken. But I could never, _ever_ have tried to take that place through violence..!"

"How about emotionally? After all, you did go to Daisuke when he asked you to." Rush counters.

Takeru bitterly chuckles to himself "Hikari was so right, you know? It's impossible _not_ to get your hopes up when the one you like just had a fight with their partner and asks you to come over. I should have taken her advice… and never gone there..."

* * *

Takeru finds the door unlocked when he finally arrives at Daisuke's apartment. He cautiously enters.

"Daisuke..? Where are you?"

"Here…" comes a meek answer from the redhead's room.

Upon opening the door, the blond boy discovers a picture of misery huddled on the bed. Takeru is at his side instantly, sitting down to his right and gently touching his back.

"God, Daisuke… what happened?" he asks compassionately.

"He called me disgusting." the other mutters, broken. "He told me to stay away from him and left…"

"What?" Takeru furrows his brow shocked. "Ken did that? That's not like him at all…"

"I know..!" exclaims Daisuke.

"I.. Well, I…" the other fishes for words. "I mean, he's been weird all day. He probably didn't mean it…"

"But what if he did?" reddened brown eyes shift to look up at blue ones. "What if he really broke up with me? And I have no idea why?"

Takeru already appears internally torn by now; talking like this, the other is not making it any easier for him.

"R-really Daisuke, I really don't know…"

"What if I really repulse him…?" Daisuke finally whispers as he lets his head sink miserably.

Apparently, this is too much. "You're not repulsive!" the blond glares fiercely. "And Ken is an idiot if he thinks otherwise!"

Daisuke only blinks in bafflement "Uh?"

"Anyone should be happy to call you their boyfriend..! I.. I would be happy…" Takeru quietens.

The other stares at him unbelievingly "Takeru..."

Said only presses a swift kiss to the stunned boy's lips, which begin to tremble slightly with confusion.

When Takeru tries to pull away after several seconds, however, Daisuke follows unexpectedly. He returns the kiss with a need born from despair. Moments later, they are clinging to each other kissing heatedly, oblivious to their surroundings.

Suddenly, Takeru halts in his tracks. The redhead leans back to find the other staring past him in a horrified manner. Daisuke follows his gaze; he gasps.

"Ken…!"

Said is standing unmoving in the doorway, witnessing the scene before him. Two single, glistening tears roll down the blue-haired boy's face before falling to the ground. He runs out of the apartment.

Daisuke gets up quickly to follow him "Ken, wait!"

Takeru, meanwhile, slowly leans down to rest his forehead on the mattress, hurt and paralysed.

"Fuck…"

* * *

Takeru gulps past the lump in his throat. "I have no idea what happened then. But I know Daisuke couldn't have.. _pushed_ Ken from a bridge or anything like that..." the young man insists.

Valens makes a doubtful sound "We'll see about that."

=#=#=


	11. Final Interrogation and Conclusion

**Author's Note:** For the song in the end: /watch?v=WdYOQ0BYTGM

* * *

"Last chance now, Daisuke." Lily Rush states sternly.

"You chased after him, right? So what happened next?" Valens demands.

"I didn't do anything!" exclaims Daisuke.

"Except that you almost cheated on him not one hour after your fight?" the blonde detective drawls.

Hurt and guilt flashes across the young man's face but it is held back by defiance. "He should just have told me what the fuck was wrong with him! I would have helped him with anything! But to answer your questions, yes, I chased after him, but I didn't find him. End of story."

After that statement, a long silence spreads in the interrogation room. Eventually, Rush sits down beside Daisuke. In a calm voice, she asks

"Do you really want to know why he was so detached? Do you, Daisuke?"

The other frowns at her, not having expected this. "..You know? Really? Of course I want to..!"

"He was attacked in your absence. Attacked and almost raped." She pauses while the redhead's eyes widen impossibly. "This is why he did not want to be touched. The things he said to you - he didn't actually say them to _you_, but rather to that delinquent. He probably came back to apologise… maybe even talk to you about it. Instead, he found you - the one he trusted the most - with Takeru."

Pale-faced, Daisuke stammers "You're.. you're lying! This is impossible! No, he.. he couldn't..! No!" He gets up, shaking his head desperately. For a minute, his loud and shaky breathing is all that can be heard.

Eventually, he breaks down crying. "_Shit!_"

"You found him, didn't you. And then? What happened then..?" Rush gently presses him after a while.

"Yes… I found him, he was sitting on the parapet of that bridge… But I.. I didn't…"

"Didn't what?" asks the male detective.

"I didn't _mean_ to! I didn't mean to..." the young man shakes his head where it is buried in his hands. "I loved him so much. I still do. So why…" he looks up at the detectives through teary eyes. "Why didn't he just tell me..? Why…?"

* * *

"Ken!" Daisuke runs towards his boyfriend as he spots him on the bridge.

"Don't come near me!" the blue-haired boy yells when the other has come close enough to reach out.

"I'm so sorry, Ken, I really am…" the redhead regretfully says. The other only jerks his head away to hide tears.

"I have no idea how that happened…" Daisuke continues. "It's just, those things you said before - they really hurt me… But I love _you_. I _love_ you, you hear me..?"

No reaction besides a sad lowering of the head by the boy sitting on the parapet.

Miserable brown eyes fall upon Ken's left wrist. Shocked, Daisuke exclaims "Hey, you're bleeding!"

Wordlessly, Ken brings forth his right hand holding a slightly bloody shard of glass.

"You did this to yourself? Why?" Daisuke asks incredulously.

"Because…" the other starts, his voice cracking a little "Because I…" But then shakes his head, unable to proceed.

"Alright, we can work this out…" the shorter boy tries to soothe both Ken and himself. "I have no idea what has been wrong with you all day, and I know I just made a.. a _horrendous_ mistake, but.. we'll be fine. We'll be fine, I promise. Just come down."

Ken turns to look at him for the first time, sadness and hope shining through his eyes. He nods slowly, causing Daisuke to breathe out his relief.

The latter gently grabs Ken's shoulders to support him. However, the other immediately reacts to the touch. Struggling, he yells "Don't touch me!"

Taken aback, the redhead shouts out "What? What is it now?", not releasing his hold on his boyfriend.

However, Ken's final shove against Daisuke creates a momentum that pushes himself over the edge. With a last, wide-eyed look, Ken falls.

"NO!" Daisuke screams and reaches out in vain.

But the other boy is lying motionless on the street below.

"Fuck, _no!_ _KEN!_"

In the distance below, the desperate boy suddenly looks into the eyes of 15-year-old Joselyn Parsons, who is staring up at him frightfully. He takes a few gasps of breath, then runs away.

...

* * *

=#=#=

_/ You're beautiful, so silently,  
__It lies beneath the shade of blue,  
__It struck me so violently when I looked at you.  
__But others pass, they never pause  
__To feel that magic in your hand,  
__To me you're like a wild rose they never understand. /_

Daisuke is led out of the interrogation room at the same time as Takeru. They look at each other shortly before Daisuke averts his face in shame and remorse and Takeru's gaze saddens.

_/ I cried for you when the sky cried for you  
__And when you went I became a hopeless drifter.  
__But this life was not for you,  
__Though I learned from you  
__That beauty need only be a whisper... /_

Joselyn is standing on the bridge, peering down, when Mrs. Ichijouji walks up to where she stands. Smiling tearfully, she leaves blue roses on the parapet. The younger woman begins to talk to her.

Meanwhile, the 'Suicide' on Ken's case box is crossed out by the detectives.

_/ I'll cross the sea for a different world  
__With your treasure, a secret for me to hold.  
__In many years they may forget  
__This love of ours or that we met,  
__They may not know how much you meant to me... /_

Daisuke and Takeru leave the building to find Hikari and Miyako waiting for them outside with sad expressions. Miyako immediately walks up to hug Daisuke as Hikari does the same with Takeru. They all stand together now, joined as a group again. Like Hikari said, despite the personal distance, their bond has never truly been severed.

_/ Without you, now I see  
__How fragile the world can be.  
__And I know you've gone away  
__But in my heart you'll always stay. /_

Still standing beside their two friends, the girls turn around. The four of them see Ken standing down the stairs. He gives them a small, regretful smile, lets the shard of glass fall to the ground, slowly turns around and walks away into nothing.

The four friends hold onto each other tighter, crying.

_/ T__his life was not for you,  
__Though I learned from you  
__That beauty need only be a whisper,  
__That beauty need only be a whisper... /_

* * *

End.

* * *

=#=#=

**Author's Note:** The song in the end is "I Cried For You" by Katie Melua. Here: /watch?v=WdYOQ0BYTGM (a vid I made specifically for this fanfiction).  
Like I said, in Cold Case, they always use sad songs, and usually, those sound a bit "older" (often to fit the time in which the murder took place, but not always), so when a friend of mine showed me this song, I immediately thought "*That's* the song for my story." and that decision never wavered, even though I made it years ago ^^

In case you don't know Cold Case... well, then this story must have seemed weird to you in many ways first of all... xD But anyway, here is a typical episode ending: /watch?v=YIDY2ZnBb1Y  
So you see, this "apparition" in the end is nothing out of the ordinary ^^

Hope you enjoyed the story :)


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